Olompali State Historic Park - A Novato Treasure

It is
embarrassing. After living in the lovely City of Novato for many, many years my family and I
finally took the time to visit a Novato treasure - Olompali Park. What
encouraged me to get in my car and drive the seven minutes is the new, safer
entrance from Redwood Blvd. instead of the hair-raising turn-off from Hwy 101.

The 700-acre
park is an interpretive and educational center that accommodates all visitors.
We had our 3-month-old in a stroller and maneuvered quite well; many paths are
flat. There are hiking and horseback riding trails, shaded picnic tables and a
Miwok Village. For the serious hiker, you can climb Mount Burdell, about an
eight-mile round trip.

Olompali
has quite a history. The Coast Miwok lived in the region for over 8,000 years
and the name, Olompali, comes from the Miwok language and may be translated as
"southern village" or "southern people." It is the site of the oldest surviving
house north of San Francisco Bay. Built in 1776 of adobe by the chief of the
Olompali band of the Coast Miwok tribe, you can view it on the property.

Around
1863, the owner of the property gave the ranch to his daughter Mary when she wed
Dr. Galen Burdell. The family had a 26-room mansion built and expanded the
property with outbuildings and incredible gardens. The family owned the
property until the mid-1940s.

Over
time it was owned by the University of San Francisco and investors who built a
large swimming pool for a Swim Club. Various tenants leased the property.

In
1967 it was leased by Donald McCoy, Jr., who was blessed with family money and
created a commune known as the "Chosen Family." Friends such as the Grateful
Dead, Janis Joplin and Grace Slick often stayed and played for the group. The
commune grew to about 100 families from 1967-1969.

On
February 2, 1969, an electrical fire gutted the mansion. It has been said that
the use of amplifiers by rock musicians overloaded the old circuits. The outer
walls still stand to give you an idea of how lovely the home was. Artifacts
from the mansion can be seen today in the nearby museum.

Later
in 1969 tragedy struck when two little girls within the commune fell into the
swimming pool and drowned. When County officials inspected the property they
found many code violations. Within a month the commune was expelled.

Mercifully,
in 1977, the State of California purchased the land and turned it into a State
Park.

It is open five days a week, Wednesdays - Sundays,
from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The park day use fee is currently $8.00 per vehicle. Dogs and bicycles are not
allowed.

The
Visitor Center is usually staffed by a volunteer on Saturday afternoons from
noon - 3:00pm. We were lucky to have time with the docent who filled us in on
much of the history of the park.

For
direction: from 101 go west just a short way at the San Marin exit. Take a
right at Redwood Blvd and follow the signs. Very easy to find.